The NBA players have filed an antitrust complaint against the NBA in Minnesota and have plans to file another complaint in Northern California Tuesday evening.
The first antitrust suit was filed in Minneapolis, a place where NFL players had some measure of success in similar court proceedings this summer during their lockout.
Minnesota Timberwolves forward Anthony Tolliver, Detroit Pistons guard Ben Gordon, free agent forward Caron Butler and Minnesota draft pick Derrick Williams are listed as plaintiffs in the Minnesota case.
Plaintiffs in the Northern California case are expected to include Carmelo Anthony, Chauncey Billups, Kevin Durant, Kawhi Leonard and Leon Powe.
According to attorney David Boies, the players will not seek a preliminary injunction to lift the lockout but instead will use the complaints as an attempt to restore competitive free-market conditions.
The plaintiffs argue that the lockout "constitutes an illegal group boycott, price-fixing agreement, and/or restraint of trade in violation of the Sherman Act" and that the owners' final offer for a new CBA would have "wiped out the competitive market for most NBA players."
Says Boies, "We hope it's not necessary to go to trial."
Update: You can download a PDF of the antitrust suit filed in Minnesota here.
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Interesting
I am very interested to see how the players try to argue this mere weeks after multiple players said in public that they have several alternatives to a negotiated deal, from playing overseas (sure) to starting their own league (hahaha)…
by Viceroy Fizzlebottom on Nov 15, 2011 8:24 PM EST reply actions
Not a great argument
Here’s the current overseas list, and many more could get jobs if they wanted.
http://hoopshype.com/overseas.htm
"Victory goes to the player who makes the next-to-last mistake."
- Chessmaster Savielly Grigorievitch Tartakower
by lietothegirls on Nov 16, 2011 1:06 PM EST reply actions
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